World Festival to shut down Sandton streets for a month

The movement of all private vehicles to and from the Sandton inner business district will be restricted as a result of the EcoMobility World Festival held at the Sandton Convention Centre in October, said the City of Johannesburg.

This means, all motorists will have to resort to walking, cycling, or using public transport to get to their destinations.

According to the City of Johannesburg, 70% of the traffic on Sandton streets during peak hours are private vehicles. The city aims to reduce traffic flow to accommodate the festival, as well as trying out a new system to reduce congestion in the area.

Sandton is one of the most congested areas in the country. Johannesburg executive mayor Parks Tau meanwhile said if more people don’t switch to other methods of transport, the entire area will come to a standstill.

“If more people do not switch to public transport, walking or cycling, congestion in the CBD area of Sandton will go from bad to worse and traffic will eventually grind to a halt, creating a giant parking lot,” he said.